How to Meet Medicaid Work Requirements

Everyone in your household will meet Medicaid work requirements if your household income is $580 or more in one month of your look-back period. (Read about the look-back period above.)

Vermont Health Connect will look at your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). MAGI is your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your federal tax return, plus foreign income, plus tax exempt interest, plus non-taxable Social Security benefits. Learn what counts with this MAGI summary.

Example

Peter and Jonah are married. Peter receives $200 a month in social security benefits and Jonah earns $400 a month from a job. Their total household MAGI income is $600. This means everyone in the household meets the work requirements.

Example

Jessica and Jose are married. Jessica earns $800 per month at a job. Jose does not have any income. Their total household MAGI income is $800. This means everyone in the household meets the work requirements.

You will meet Medicaid work requirements if you worked 80 hours or more in one month of your look-back period. (Read about the look-back period above.) You may meet the requirements when you work in exchange for:

• money
• goods or services (often called in-kind work), or
• no money (unpaid work).

Example

Alejandro is self-employed and owns a farm. The farm is losing money right now, but he works 150 hours per month. Alejandro meets the work requirements because he works 80 hours or more in one month.

Example

Julia is the unpaid property manager for her building. In exchange for reduced rent and meals, she works 87 hours per month. Julia does not have any income, but she meets the work requirements because she does 80 hours of in-kind work in one month.

You will meet the Medicaid work requirements if you were enrolled in an education program at least half-time. Your school, not the state, determines whether you are enrolled half-time. For example:

• a college or university (generally, accredited institutions offering postsecondary programs)
• a career and technical education program (vocational or technical training like welding, cosmetology, phlebotomy, and similar hands-on career training programs)
• a high school, or
• a state-approved high school equivalency program such as GED prep and testing programs.

Less than half-time enrollment

Whether you are “half-time” or “full-time” is determined by the school, not the state.

• If you are enrolled in an education program less than half-time, your hours are tracked as activity hours.
• If you are enrolled in a program that uses credit hours, one credit hour counts as 13 hours per month.
• For schools that do not use credit hours, hours spent attending class and participating in educational activities will count.

Note: Independent, self-paced study that is not part of an actual state-approved program does not count for Medicaid work requirements.

Find education opportunities

• Vermont State University
• Community College of Vermont (CCV)
• UVM Extension
• Medicaid.gov Education Map

Example

Jade is in school for welding. He attends 8 hours of instruction and trains and practices for an additional 20 hours per month. His total educational program hours are 28 per month. He will need 52 hours of other activities to meet the Medicaid work requirements of 80 hours in a month.

You will meet the Medicaid work requirements if you participated in a work program for 80 hours or more in one month of your look-back period. (Read about the look-back period above.)

A work program is employment training or work-related activities that help you get a job or improve your ability to get a job. There are only four work programs that count in Vermont:

You will meet the Medicaid work requirements if you volunteered for 80 hours or more in one month of your look-back period. (Read about the look-back period above.)

The volunteer program must be structured. (For example: Helping a friend move does not count.)  

Community service hours do not have to be voluntary. They may be court ordered.

Examples of volunteer activity locations:  

• schools
• humane society
• libraries
• food bank or food pantries
• park volunteer.

Note: Community service cannot be partisan activities (political), benefit specific individuals, or be purely recreational in nature.

Find ways to volunteer  

• Vermont Connector
• Vermont 211
• Medicaid.gov Volunteer Opportunities Map